The Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph reference 26399CR.OO.D002CR.01 is a highly complex luxury timepiece limited to 50 pieces. It features a 41mm multi-material case that combines an 18k white gold bezel, lugs, and caseback with an 18k pink gold octagonal middle case. The architecture is characterized by a double-curved sapphire crystal and hollowed lugs that are welded to the thin bezel. The watch is powered by the manufacture Calibre 2952, an automatic movement with a 65-hour power reserve, visible through the openworked skeleton dial and transparent caseback. It is paired with a hand-stitched black alligator leather strap and a white gold AP folding clasp.
Mechanically, this model integrates two high-end horological complications: a flying tourbillon and a flyback chronograph. The flying tourbillon at the 6 o’clock position compensates for gravity’s effects on the escapement without a supporting bridge on the dial side, while the flyback chronograph allows the user to reset and restart the timer with a single press of a button. The skeletonized dial provides a three-dimensional view of the movement’s 479 components, including the column-wheel chronograph mechanism and pink gold-toned bridges that contrast with the white gold exterior elements. The watch maintains a water resistance of 30 meters.
General reviews of the Code 11.59 collection, and this skeletonized variant in particular, often highlight the exceptional level of hand-finishing and the complex geometry of the case, which many collectors find more impressive in person than in photographs. While the initial launch of the Code 11.59 line faced criticism for its dial design, the complicated and openworked models are widely praised for their mechanical sophistication and technical execution. Critics occasionally note the limited water resistance as a drawback for a modern luxury sports watch, but the 26399CR is generally regarded as a premier example of contemporary haute horlogerie that showcases Audemars Piguet’s mastery of movement transparency and architectural design.